Bred to hunt lions: Rhodesian Ridgebacks from The Meadville Tribune on Vimeo.

By Ryan Smith

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

CONNEAUTVILLE — Anyone who’s come into contact with a Rhodesian Ridgeback has met a dog who’s loving, playful and not at all shy about planting some big, wet smooches on the face of a stranger.

What’s not immediately evident is that the Ridgeback is also an agile hunter and guard, originally bred centuries ago in South Africa to hunt lions and other predators that may have threatened community safety.

Lion-hunting excluded, the Ridgeback’s talents — and their golden temperaments — were on display Saturday during the third annual Ridgeback Rodeo at Karen and Eric Watson’s TerraCotta Kennels in Conneautville. The four-day event played host to upwards of 70 Ridgeback owners and their pets from around the United States and Canada.

A 16-year breeder of American Kennel Club-certified Ridgebacks, Watson said “we came up with an idea to host a breed-specific event” that allows the dogs’ owners to “exchange information and ideas, and try all the things they’re capable of doing — and then some.”

It also allows Ridgeback owners to gather in a relaxed, friendly setting that’s a sight away from the highly-competitive world of dog shows, she and others said.

“It’s wonderful,” western New York resident Jan Powley, a first-time attendee, said as she and her Ridgeback, a boisterous five-month-old named Tess, mingled on Saturday. “We’re just taking it all in and socializing her” with other Ridgebacks and people, she said. “She loves kids. She loves everything.”

The rodeo also included a variety of AKC-sanctioned, non-competitive events including straight racing, agility practice, lure-coursing, rallying practice, hunting and temperament testing.

“These are some of the finest Rhodesian Ridgebacks in the entire country,” said Eric Watson. The rodeo’s “grown, and next year, we’ll probably have twice as many.”

Ryan Smith can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at rsmith@meadvilletribune.com.